conflate
Say it: kun-FLAYT /kənˈfleɪt/ · verb
What “conflate” means
Treat two different things as if they are the same.
More precisely: To mix up two different things as if they were the same.
Example: “People often conflate being busy with being productive.”
When to use it
When someone mixes up distinct ideas or categories, usually while correcting reasoning in a discussion or piece of writing.
Similar words
confuse, merge, mix up
Where it comes from
From Latin conflare, "to blow together, fuse."
Quick check
Someone treats disagreeing with a friend as exactly the same as disliking them. What do they do?
conflate or compare?
Show the answer
conflate
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